I would think that the appeal by Mr. Flores in behalf of caring for one another
is unassailable. How anyone, for whatever reason, could argue against it is
hard to understand. Hopefully it is not the Utah way.

marxistSalt Lake City, UT

June 8, 2014 12:31 p.m.

Re: Mike Richards "'The "pioneers' did not ask the
government for help. " No, but they did expect help from each other which
they institutionalized into a variety of "united orders." I know, I
know, but that is "different." No it isn't. To get inspiration
for his socialist future ideal the writer Edward Bellamy sought inspiration from
the most socialist society he could find on earth - Brigham City, Utah - in the
1880's. The result was his novel "Looking Backward" which was BTW
the third hottest seller in the 19th century, following only "Uncle
Tom's Cabin" and "Tom Sawyer," subject to check.

In the world, government, however constituted is how people take care of each
other. It's often our strongest common arrangement for getting things
done.

The refusal of the legislature to take care of over 100,000
working poor through health insurance is a blot on the history of Utah. The
Republicans responsible for this should be brought up on charges on Judgement
Day.

wrzPhoenix, AZ

June 8, 2014 12:10 p.m.

ordinaryfolks:"...is something wrong with Medicare?"

I
take your point. Medicare is a fairly good system. At least it doesn't
have death panels... yet.

"If you don't have a good job that
provides health coverage, you probably need help getting insurance."

Solution: Get a good job. If you're not qualified for a good
job... get qualified.

"Saving money by avoiding restaurants and
buying new iPads is probably a good idea, but it won't save you enough to
cover a cancer treatment."

Folks will use their money for
whatever purpose they wish, not thinking about what the future might bring,
health-wise. Everyone should understand that there will more than likely be big
health bills sometime in their future. This means either amassing savings to
pay for it or getting insurance and letting others help pay. I prefer the
latter, forgoing alotta pleasures in life, at least until Medicare kicks in.

ordinaryfolksseattle, WA

June 8, 2014 8:02 a.m.

Mr Bean and wrz

is something wrong with Medicare? Single payer, but
not governmental health care. Yeah the VA is a snake pit, but not everywhere.
Some VA facilities provide good care. I can name you a bunch of private
hospitals and insurance outfits that cheat the public and provide poor care.

If you don't have a good job that provides health coverage, you
probably need help getting insurance. Saving money by avoiding restaurants and
buying new iPads is probably a good idea, but it won't save you enough to
cover a cancer treatment. Especially if you work at Walmart or other such poor
paying positions. Unless you want de facto death panels through a financial
means test, then we are all obligated to participate in the payment of
extraordinary treatments.

Ultra BobCottonwood Heights, UT

June 8, 2014 7:07 a.m.

What the paid voices of the businessmen in the Health Care industry are not
telling you and which you are not considering, is that the same problems of the
accused VA also exist in private health care times ten.

More people
die of mismanagement, medical errors, misdiagnosis, and sometime deliberate
medical malpractice in private medical care than in all the VA hospitals in the
nation.

When you want to do away with something, consider the
alternative you will be left with.

Mr. BeanPhoenix, AZ

June 7, 2014 9:56 p.m.

ordinaryfolks""I think a single payer system is best, but we have
built a rickety system of private health care insurance."

The
vets have a government-furnished single payer system. The report is that dozens
of vets died waiting for care.

Expect the same if/when the government
takes over America's healthcare. And expect the so-called death panels as
well. Not necessarily from neglect like the Vets suffered. But from government
panels who will decide what healthcare older folks will or will not receive.

wrzPhoenix, AZ

June 7, 2014 8:40 p.m.

ordinaryfolks:"UH hmm, just who do you think covers your medical bills
when you can not pay them as you lack any kind of insurance coverage?"

Stop buying ipads, cell phones, cable TV/computer hook-up fees, stop
eating out and buying new cars. Put the money saved either in health insurance
or a medical savings account to pay the bills when do.

"The tooth
fairy?"

No, see above.

"I think a single payer
system is best..."

You mean something like the Veteran's
Administration health system? That's what you get with a single payer
system with the federal government in charge.

ordinaryfolksseattle, WA

June 7, 2014 6:16 p.m.

Just for argument's sake, let's rid the Federal government (state and
local too) of all the right-wing annoying functions that the government
currently provides or funds.

So, you get sick and got no money. You
die, unless your family can pony up the medical bills. Oh, and no Medicare or
Medicaid to pay for granny's nursing home care.

FDIC, SEC, FTC,
USDA, EEOC, OSHA, and all the rest of the alphabet soup governmental agencies go
away. You park money in a bank, better make sure it is a good one. You want to
believe labels on pills or food. Good luck, each person for themselves. Think
your employer cheated you. Look for a better employer as he/she can.

Research. Forget it, waste of money. Aid to farmers. Nope. Subsidies to
mineral companies. Well, that might stay since they have so much influence in
Washington, but should logically be stopped.

This could be more fun
that the 200 words allowed, but I hope the point is made.

We need
government to provide some essential services for us all.

Ultra BobCottonwood Heights, UT

June 7, 2014 2:19 p.m.

I am part of the Federal government of the United States of America.

Unfortunately so is PeanutGallery, 10CC, The Greatest Statist and millions of
other misguided people. Not that they are bad people, sad that they are opposed
to the heart of America.

I am proud to be an American, not because I
had any thing to do with it, but because it gave me a step up over the rest of
the world so that I wouldn't have to hate those who have more than I do.

Mike RichardsSouth Jordan, Utah

June 7, 2014 2:16 p.m.

The "pioneers" fled the United States because they were driven out. The
"pioneers" did not ask the government for help. They did not expect the
citizens of Mississippi to pay taxes so they they, the pioneers, would not have
to pay their own way.

Government is the problem, not the solution.
We can fix any problem if we stop expecting others to foot the bill.

If you, or your extended family, don't care about family members, why
would you expect the people of Mississippi or Nevada to pay?

EJMHerriman, UT

June 7, 2014 1:43 p.m.

150 years ago we didn't expect the federal government to provide health
care. We really didn't expect the government to do much of anything, except
provide for the national defense and open up the western frontier. Oh, and keep
the natives in check. Today we expect the government to be all things to all
people and it can't be. Many want it to be but it can't. Until we
reprioritize our national priorities and have just one courageous politician
make the statement "Sure we can have national health care. Tell me how we
pay for it" then we will be stuck with our current situation.

ordinaryfolksseattle, WA

June 7, 2014 10:46 a.m.

Greatest Statist

UH hmm, just who do you think covers your medical
bills when you can not pay them as you lack any kind of insurance coverage? The
tooth fairy? We all pay for your privilege of your getting emergency care thru
our already high hospital bills. Who pays the bill when you declare bankruptcy
when you can not pay your other medical bills? The Easter bunny? No we all do
through higher insurance premiums and medical fees.

There is no free
lunch anywhere, and unless you are a person of means, somehow your unpaid bills
get absorbed by all of us.

The common sense solution to this
dilemma is to demand we all have coverage. I think a single payer system is
best, but we have built a rickety system of private health care insurance. You
conservatives seem to want neither. Now this just astounds me to no end. But
then again, nothing surprises me anymore.

The Greatest StatistLayton, UT

June 7, 2014 8:50 a.m.

"Today, we have thousands of Utahns who are suffering, dying, for lack of
health care, of which two-thirds are working but cannot afford health
care."

Thank you for your concern, Mr. Florez. As one of those
Utahns who is working without insurance, I assume that I'll be receiving a
check from you and other like-minded individuals to help subsidize my health
care costs until our lawmakers get better at taking money from the federal
government. The very least you could do help me cover the costs of my fine
(erm, I mean tax penalty) under the Affordable Care Act.

In all
seriousness, it never ceases to amaze me how compassionate people can be (as
long as the federal government foots the bill).

10CCBountiful, UT

June 7, 2014 8:42 a.m.

The over-riding value is Obama is president, and the federal government is
evil.

If Romney was the president and had brought RomneyCare with
him, that would be a horse of an entirely different color, and Utahns would be
crowing about how together we helped Emily Young when she needed chemotherapy
and her insurance ran out. Instead, Emily Young is dead, and Gary Herbert is
begging for support for his Medicaid alternative, even though it lines the
pockets of private insurance companies.

Poor Utahns are falling
through the cracks because Obama is president, and somebody needs to pay for the
unrighteous decision of the rest of the nation.